Local transmission accounts for 60 of 64 new COVID-19 cases in Thiruvananthapuram district

A few of the infected are primary contacts of people who earlier tested positive in Poonthura, Aryanad; auto drivers supplying fish across city also test positive
With the triple lockdown in place the Chalai Bazar in Thiruvananthapuram wears a deserted look. (Photo| Vincent Pulickal, EPS)
With the triple lockdown in place the Chalai Bazar in Thiruvananthapuram wears a deserted look. (Photo| Vincent Pulickal, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A total of 64 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the district on Wednesday, making it the highest daily tally so far. Among them, 60 people contacted the infection through local transmission, with a few of them being primary contacts of people who earlier tested positive in Poonthura and Aryanad. 

A school headmaster in Aryanad, a headload worker associated with Kumarichanda market, fish vendors, a pharmacist and volunteer at AYUSH hospital in Poonthura are among the new patients. Autorickshaw drivers supplying fish to various parts of the city, including Karamana, Thirumala and near Poonthura police station from Poonthura, also tested positive on the day.  

As many as 741 people were newly placed under observation as part of COVID-19 containment efforts. A total of 335 people are under hospital isolation while 18,762 people are under home quarantine.  On Wednesday, 94 people were newly admitted to hospitals across the district and 58 patients were discharged. A total of 664 samples were sent for testing while 539 results which were received on the day tested negative. 

Fishing activities prohibited

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All fishing activities in the district have been prohibited after several people were infected of Covid-19 in the coastal area of Poonthura. Fish landing and fishing activities were a major headache for authorities as it attracted public gathering even after several restrictions were in place due to triple lockdown in the city.

Unauthorised fishing and auctioning were also noticed in landing centres such as Muthalapozhi, Perumathura and Maryanad harbour. Tahsildar in these localities have reported that a lot of people who come from Poonthura and other coastal areas affected by the pandemic through sea route to the landing centres. District Collector Navjot Khosa has invoked relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005.

Technopark tightens vigil after security guard tests positive

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Technopark authorities stepped up vigil after a security guard contracted Covid-19 on Tuesday. The 60-year-old last worked at a building in Phase-III on June 30. "He was on duty at the parking and main entrance of Ganga. He was asymptomatic as we only allow people inside the campus after thermal scanning," said an officer.

The security guard hails from Chakkai and has no known source of infection. All IT parks implemented the standard operating procedure, as issued by the government, in March. According to the officer, Technopark has been following social distancing norms since April. Though the government has allowed uninterrupted movement of IT staff, only 10 per cent of them come to the campus while rest work from home.

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